Through Branches and Briars
by treeson
Summary: There are stories within stories and some cannot be retold. Three times she loved a traitor, and two times she lost them.
1. A Beginning

**Disclaimer:** The same as my other stories. I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I claim to by writing this. I do it for love, not money.

**A/N:** In celebration of reaching 600 reviews on ff for Well Roared, Lion, I've decided to post the pet project I've been working on for a few months. No update for WRL yet, but it'll be coming soon, too!

Thank you, everyone!

* * *

Sirius thought it was obvious Remus Lupin's continuous habit of thinking deep thoughts, which Sirius had roundly tried to disabuse him of since they had met in first year, had finally made him insane.

Tragic, really, considering Professor Granger didn't seem the type to stand for excuses, especially temporary insanity.

"So you're saying that you did finish the assigned homework, but—and let me get this straight—your _rabbit _chewed and soiled it? That's the gist of it, yes?" With every word the petite Defense Against the Dark Arts professor seemed to shrink. It reminded Sirius of nothing so much as a stalking cat, getting lower to the ground in preparation of a pounce. Sirius surreptitiously scooted his chair away from his very brave, very insane, and soon to be deceased friend.

Everyone had told Remus that his plan was a stupid one—they would see what happened when Granger's fuse was lit when a_ Slytherin_ forgot to do their homework. But after almost two months of waiting with nothing for it, it seemed that the Slytherins had been just as afraid of the strict witch as the Gryffindors and hadn't dared to chance it either, even when she piled an enormous amount of it on them. It was probably the only point the opposing Houses agreed on: Don't mess with Professor Granger.

Though Remus had pointed out that, as her top student beside Snivellus, he would stand a fair chance at coming out alive. Sirius didn't see anyone else in the classroom agreeing with that opinion. Granger looked the very opposite of forgiving. Snivellus himself looked positively gleeful, which always boded ill.

"And caught fire to it, Professor," Remus added in his most helpful tone.

A few more people in the vicinity inched away, not excluding James and Peter. Sirius resisted the urge to duck her chilly eyes inspired in him.

"A rabbit with pyrotechnic abilities who violently disagrees with what I'm sure was a very compelling argument against the use of Unforgivables in the Ministry." Professor Granger paused and Remus nodded, still looking the picture of wounded innocence.

"I see," she said slowly, and tapped her nails on the table. "This sounds very serious, Mister Lupin. Perhaps you should bring this rabbit to the next class, so that I may study it. It sounds like it could be a Dark creature, and we would not want such a dangerous and obviously unhinged rabbit living in Gryffindor Tower among unsuspecting victims. Possibly it shouldn't even wait that long. Come with me; I shall contact Professor McGonagall to make sure this mammalian threat is neutralized as quickly as possible. Miss Evans, if you will keep order while I am away—"

"No!" Remus shouted, causing half the class to jump. Professor Granger blinked, and then frowned, obviously not understanding the now pale teenager in front of her.

"What do you mean 'no', Mister Lupin? Obviously, this is a threat to the wellbeing of your peers. I'm sure you are attached and very apt to handle a vicious creature such as your pet, but"—she sighed—"it needs to be destroyed. My early condolences. But we really should be away—we don't want this Dark Rabbit suspecting anything, do we?"

Someone snickered. It might have been him.

"No, I—uh." Remus dropped his head and Sirius let out a quiet sigh. Even if they had been able to buy a menacing enough looking rabbit by the next time class rolled around, it would have still been achingly clear that it hadn't the mental facilities or the Dark powers required to plot murder in Gryffindor Tower. McGonagall and Granger united against this stupid lie would be impossible to thwart.

"I don't have a rabbit, Professor Granger. I, well, forgot," his werewolf friend said in his most pathetic voice, cheeks as red as the inside of a watermelon.

Professor Granger didn't bat an eyelash. "That is apparent. You will give me a two foot essay on the merits of creating lies that can bear scrutiny, even ridiculous scrutiny, citing your sources, due at seven tomorrow morning, where you will be serving detention. Understood, Mister Lupin, or shall I inflict your whole House because of your farce and deduct points, too?"

"Understood, Professor," Remus said, shoulders slumped.

"Good." Professor Granger looked around the classroom, eyes pausing on Sirius, who shifted in discomfort. "Has anyone else forgotten their homework? Perhaps there's a ravenous dog roaming the halls as we speak?"

Numerous replies of "No, Professor" later and she finally walked back to her podium at the front of the classroom.

"Who thinks they have managed to come up with a solid argument for the Aurors' use of the Unforgivables? Yes, Miss Hooper?"

That was how everything started, really, Remus and his bloody Dark Rabbit.

*

Remus handed in his essay as soon as Professor Granger opened the door. She glanced at it, nodded, and instructed him to shut the door behind him. Her classroom was dark; the shades drawn and half the sconces unlit. It lent a spooky air to her otherwise well lit, if spartan, classroom. She explained as she motioned to the tables at the front of the room, which were filled with books. "You'll spend the day restoring these and detailing the damage done to each book. There's a list of spells you can use on them on my desk, along with parchment and ink for you to use. If you find yourself needing more light, use a candle, as some of these are ancient. The time consuming part is that they need to be checked by hand. If you need help or are unsure about something, I'll be in my office marking papers. Are your instructions clear?"

He didn't look away from the books as he dropped his bag to the ground. "Yes, ma'am. I'll come to you if I need anything."

He heard a soft chuckle and looked over. Her eyes were twinkling with laughter. "Should I be worried you'll try to earn more detentions, Mister Lupin?"

"Perhaps," he replied.

The professor snorted. "Stop with your cheek and get to work."

Remus smiled as she left for her office and he extracted a quill from his bag. Professor Granger wasn't mean, but strict enough to make it seem like she would be. He had guessed it when she had played along with his rather obvious lie rather than give him detention immediately, but now he knew. Peter would be so surprised when he told him; he thought Granger was scarier than McGonagall.

The work was interesting. The other professors had donated some of their books from their own private collections and he read as he restored torn pages and erased the ink smudges left over from fingers touching the page. He was hard pressed not to devour the slim black volume that turned out to be a journal of the first wizard to master the Animagus form and successfully turn back into a human, which he thought might be Professor McGonagall's. There were only two from Professor Granger's collection, a well used collection of poetry and an ancient tome on blood magic. It was apparent that she gave a lot of care to her books. The only sounds in the room were the crinkle of turned pages and Remus's soft spellwork.

He opened the next book to a page that had a hand-drawn animation of a dead person coming back to life—no, he grimaced, becoming a puppet to the Dark wizard who drank the potion. Fascinating, he thought, and turned to the next page. When a plate of sandwiches, along with a pitcher of pumpkin juice and a goblet, appeared at his elbow, he levitated the book, mindful of crumbs, and read as he ate his lunch.

The empty plate, pitcher and cup disappeared as soon as he was finished, and he wiped his lips with his sleeve and got back to work.

Two books and one length of parchment filled with his tiny scrawl later, he jumped as someone knocked on the door. He looked around guiltily, certain that whoever was behind the door would tell him off for reading Professor Granger's book on Dark magic instead of restoring it immediately.

Lucius Malfoy opened the door.

Guilt disappeared and Remus frowned, trying to think of how it could be worse.

Sirius could be here.

Right.

"Lupin," Malfoy said, surprise in his voice if not what he could see of his face in the dim light. "You are here why?"

Remus was almost impressed. Malfoy, having graduated years before, had remembered who he was and still managed to make him seem inferior at the same time. A perfect time to practise his swoon, James's voice said in his head.

"I'm restoring books for Professor Granger." He stood. He could only guess how many of these books, even torn and falling apart as they were, could cause trouble if they got into the wrong hands. Lucius Malfoy didn't so much have the wrong hands, but wrong ears, eyes and ankles as well.

Malfoy gave the books an uninterested glance. "Where is your professor, then, boy?"

The office door opened and Professor Granger called out, "Mr. Malfoy, do come in."

Malfoy gave him one last unreadable look, sneered, and swept into the office, shutting the door behind him.

Remus gave it little thought as he resumed his seat, opened the Dark Arts book to the page he'd left off, and cast an Eavesdropping Charm on himself. There were no sayings about curiosity killing the werewolf after all, and Remus was a very curious one.

"—did not show for lunch," came Malfoy's voice as if they were in the same room.

"I sent an owl this morning explaining and expressing my apologies. Did you not get it? I've decided to try out Mister Lupin as an assistant and needed today to see if he worked out."

It was nice of her, Remus thought, shifting, to protect his pride from the likes of Lucius Malfoy. And he repaid that by reading instead of working then eavesdropping on her! He shifted again, feeling enormously guilty, and raised his wand to do the counterspell.

"A werewolf, Hermione?" said Malfoy after a pause. Remus lowered his wand and tried to think of it as eavesdropping on Lucius Malfoy, a potential threat to the witch, and not on the witch herself.

"I doubt he's going to slobber on my work, Mr. Malfoy," she replied, sounding amused. "If he did I'm sure he'd be right about the quality. He's top three in all of his classes and who better to assist me than a man who has lived with a Dark curse for almost his entire life?"

Another pause where he stared unseeing at the book's text and imagined clearly the familiar look of frustration on Malfoy's face that he'd often seen when Malfoy was Head Boy and trying to get him and his friends expelled. When Malfoy finally spoke, Remus chuckled softly. Yep, Malfoy had hit his head against the brick wall that was Professor Granger.

"You know that to invite him into your confidence is to invite the danger that he poses onto you. A werewolf's closest most often end as their victims."

Silence. Remus wondered if they had finally put a ward up to keep him out. He focused on that and not the anger simmering in his blood.

Then, finally: "I think you are the wrong person to lecture me about the company I keep, Mr. Malfoy," Granger said softly, dangerously. "Is that all you came for, because I should really get back to marking these."

"You could take Snape or Regulus," Malfoy persisted. "They both enjoy your class."

"And they are good students," Professor Granger replied, not a hint of frustration in her voice, just that endless patience she gave off that had exhausted even the persistent James when he tried to go against it in a class discussion just last week. "But Professor Slughorn nabbed Mister Snape the first day and accepting Mister Black would give him a privilege he has not earned and an unfair advantage over the other sixth years. No, Mister Lupin suits me well. Now, what is it you came for?"

Thankfully, Malfoy took the hint and switched topics. Remus didn't know how long she could have lasted Malfoy attacking her lie.

Not so thankfully, Malfoy turned the topic to personal areas.

"You have not accepted one invitation to my home for the past two months, witch. I've also heard it's customary for a woman to give her reasons before cutting off all contact." He heard boots clicking on the floor and tried not to imagine Malfoy walking around Professor Granger's desk and staring down at her.

"I thought as soon as Dumbledore hired me that summer's end would be our… end as well. It's against the rules for teachers and school governors to fraternize. Besides, I remember the last time we spoke we ended up crossing wands."

"A mere lover's spat, Hermione."

"You cast the Cruciatus Curse at me."

"You ducked. See? Everything has turned out well."

"Malfoy," Granger said, sounding actually aggravated for once, as a chair scraped across the floor, "this… whatever it is between us needs to stop. I've been thinking this for some time now, and, I'll admit, me accepting this post was a convenient excuse. We had great fun, even greater sex, but it needs to end. I want someone who believes in the same things I do, not someone who's on the opposing side and has a fiancé to boot. We both knew this wouldn't last long."

"I suppose your pet werewolf fits that bill, then?" Malfoy asked, and his voice was so cold it made ice look hot.

There was a shocked silence, including the one in his head, and then Granger said, "Lucius—I am not so desperate after two months that I would turn to an inexperienced seventeen-year old. I'm… I'm insulted you would think me so shallow. I think you should leave now." Silence. _"Leave."_

Remus quickly cancelled the spell and opened a different book at random. Eavesdropping was only alright as long as he didn't get caught, and especially by someone whose wand was very eager to hurt him.

Remus was flattening the crease someone had made on one page by dog-earring it when Malfoy came out of the office. He didn't know if he looked as unaffected as he was trying to pretend, so only gave the blond wizard a glance—good thing too, as he looked ready to try a wandless Avada Kedavra—before focusing on the book again. Leave, he pleaded silently, and finally he left. He expected Malfoy to slam the door behind him—the Malfoy he remembered had used dramatics as much as threats—but it only closed behind him with a gentle _click_.

He looked up again, a little more steady, when Professor Granger stepped out of her office and looked his way. Her eyes stopped, though, at his jumper, which he had taken off when it got too hot, and threw on over the back of his chair; his oxford which he had rolled the sleeves up and unbuttoned at the throat; and his tie, which he had undone and left wrapped around his neck. He realized, with increasing horror, that he looked like he'd done the bare minimum to dress himself after getting thoroughly shagged.

Professor Granger closed her eyes and sighed. "Detention is cut short, Mister Lupin."

"But—" He looked helplessly at the books even as heat invaded his cheeks.

"Go enjoy your afternoon," she said. The door shut behind her.

He lingered, hoping she might come out and change her mind, until it was no longer wise to do so. When Remus was far enough away from the Defense classroom, he thought about all that he'd heard.

Lucius Malfoy thought he—

He couldn't even think it, it was so disturbing. Not that Professor Granger was ugly—exactly the opposite, what with her thick, curly brown hair, soft melodic voice, and the sweet smattering of freckles across her nose.

But.

She was a _teacher._

Being attracted to her—or actually imagining himself exchanging saliva with her— He shuddered. It was like remembering that the Giant Squid had genitalia. Vaguely disturbing and entirely _wrong_.

A _teacher_.

Even trying to wrap his head around the fact that his strict Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor was—he grimaced—shagging Lucius Malfoy was a hardship.

Remus had to get this off his mind. If he thought about this any longer, he would jump off the third story battlements. He had to tell someone about this.


	2. If You've Got Trouble

Disclaimer in part one.

AN: Some who read the first chapter last week will recognize the beginning of this one. I mistakenly cut off after I was supposed to, and the last section of chapter one was supposed to be here. Just think of it as a taste of this week's chapter! :D (and not any mistake of mine.)

* * *

Remus may have been looking for someone to commiserate with his feelings of shock and horror, but he didn't find it in Sirius.

Rather, Sirius was shocked and appalled that, unlike the rest of Hogwarts' male population, his werewolf friend _didn't _imagine Professor Granger when he wanked.

This confirms it, he thought. Totally nutters.

It wasn't like he imagined all his teachers that way—just picturing Slughorn made him want to flee his own head—but Professor Granger was young, extremely pretty, and intelligent to boot, if the rumours he heard about her being an Unspeakable were any indication. It was against all reason that she would be thought some asexual creature like he considered the rest of the staff.

He was also extraordinarily jealous that _Malfoy, _of all people, had been with her, and very pleased when Remus told him that he had overheard their split.

Not that he was planning on seducing her or anything.

The next DADA lesson they had, Remus was still acting like a timid virgin (maybe he was? he wondered) and Sirius shot him an incredulous look as his blushing friend dived behind his textbook immediately upon sitting. Amateurs, he thought, the lot of them.

Sirius himself sat a little bit straighter when Granger entered the room. Her teaching robes were blue and silver that day. From the beginning of the year, the students had noticed that Granger had no House biases—rather, she proclaimed it by wearing a different House colour every day. No one even knew what House she herself had been in; it seemed that any record of her at Hogwarts had thoroughly vanished, though she assured the curious Ravenclaws that'd asked that she had attended Hogwarts.

Her face was hard, in annoyance, maybe. It had only been two months since term started so he hadn't learned her expressions like he had the other teachers' yet.

"Pop quiz," was her greeting, as questions appeared on the board in her cursive handwriting. She was met with groans from all quarters, which only made her smile grimly and add, "Ten minutes."

Remus turned wide-eyed to Sirius, sure that this had something to do with what he had overheard, but Sirius just rolled his eyes as he pulled out parchment and quill. Godric's beard, it wasn't like anyone would be _upset _about breaking with Lucius Malfoy. _Shagging_ him, maybe, but not dumping him.

He pushed the image that rose with the thought—Professor Granger naked and assigning him detention, the naughty witch—out of his mind and focused on remembering what the seventh year Defense textbook said about spells that used blood or hair from the subject.

When he was finished with the quiz—with five minutes to spare, he noted smugly—he walked to the teacher's desk to return it. He made a face as he passed Snape on the way, who had finished first and was on his way to his seat. The Slytherin silently snarled back. Sirius put hexing him pantsless in the middle of the Great Hall on his to-do list, the git.

"Bad day, Professor?" he asked when he reached her desk, leaning on it after he put his finished quiz on top of Snape's. She really did look troubled, if not entirely pissed. He made sure to keep his voice low. The tendrils of hair that fell from her loose bun, framing her face, almost distracted him entirely.

"I am fine, Mister Black." Her eyes were so angry that he immediately pushed off her desk and stood straight. "If you would kindly take your seat—and entertain yourself _quietly_—I will be even better."

He gritted his teeth. Maybe the callous witch really did deserve Malfoy, if she was going to explode like that for him just acting a little friendly. Sirius nodded at the professor, unaccountably hurt, and turned back to his seat.

"But," he heard her start, and turned around quickly. She looked like she had a mouthful of lemons. "But thank you for asking. It's appreciated, if unwelcome at this moment."

_This _moment. That meant she wouldn't turn away if he tried _another_ moment. And she wasn't mad at him—it just wasn't appropriate to talk, no matter how quiet they were, when others were trying to finish their quizzes. NEWTs were coming up, after all.

Oh _ho_.

Sirius grinned. "Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."

*

"Why are you so happy, Pads?" James asked as they sat down to lunch, his black brows in the _where's Remus so he can help solve this conundrum?_ position.

"What, I can't be happy about grilled cheese day anymore?" Sirius bit into it, cheese oozing out over the sides and onto his lips, and made an obscene noise that had several Gryffindor girls in earshot scoot away from him on the bench.

"No, and that's disgusting," James said, "but…"

"You're humming," Peter said from beside him when it looked like James couldn't find his tongue. He pointed at him with his goblet, his eyes narrowed. "You never hum."

"Just a good day, mate. Bright and shining."

This would have made more sense if it they couldn't see the grey and gloomy sky from the ceiling.

Sirius turned as Remus sat down beside him, only partly because of the ridiculous questions James and Peter were throwing at him. He hummed, so what? Was that on the Ministry's banned list now?

The professor had held Remus back after class, but apparently not for that long as he'd only been late to lunch by five minutes.

"So? What'd she want?"

"She asked me if I wanted to be her assistant."

"Don't you?" James asked uncertainly, when Remus said no more, his face paler than Snape's as he stared at his plate. His eyes were desolate, as if he'd instead been told to choose between castration and a life ban on chocolate.

The longer it took for the werewolf to answer, the more his aggravation rose.

"It's not like she asked to shag on her desk," he said, shaking his head. "She doesn't even know youknow what Malfoy said."

"Wait—_Malfoy_?" Peter interrupted.

"_Shag _you?" James asked, with a squeak that almost matched Peter's.

"Maybe we should discuss this somewhere else," Remus said quietly when he noticed other Gryffindors looking their way. "And, yes, Sirius, I accepted."

"On her _desk_?"

*

"So Granger's shagging _Malfoy_?" James put a hand on his stomach like he might projectile vomit on the spot.

"Professor Granger," Remus corrected, "_was_ shagging him. Now she's not."

"Still," James insisted. He sat up and leaned against the headboard of his bed. "You think she's trying to shag you now?"

"Doubtful," Remus said, as Sirius scoffed. Remus gave him a sour look. "I'm just… _uncomfortable _with the thought of my name being linked to hers that way."

"You mean: _naked_?" Peter asked, eliciting laughs. Remus threw a pillow at him, harrumphing.

"Okay, so Granger was shagging Malfoy and now she's offered you the assistant position—good job on that, mate, by the by—so what's your problem, besides being a prude?"

"I am not a prude!"

"So there's no problem, then," said Sirius, turning so his head upside down off his bed and looking at his friends. Remus shrugged, still appearing uncomfortable but not refusing it. Sirius rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Then I guess it's time to go onto the next subject of our night: a welcome back to Hogwarts. With all the homework they've assigned us, it's been sadly neglected."

"I don't think I should be here for this," James said, getting up. "Lily'd probably hex me sideways and there's no telling what Dumbledore would do."

"Oh, yeah. Forgot your Head Boy badge is more important than us," Sirius said, sitting up, something in him twisting and hardening and turning complicated somersaults in his stomach all at the same time. His blood rushed to his head and now various parts of his face tingled as it settled back. He knew it wasn't about the blasted Head Boy badge at all. Precious Lily, he thought sourly. He remembered the times Lily Evans hadn't even crossed James's mind when they were pranking, or even just playing around, now it was all he thought about. What _she _would think.

"It's not that—"

"We'll do it without you, won't we, Wormtail?" He nodded and Sirius reached over and clapped him on the back. "Good man." He looked over to Remus, brows raised. Remus was a Prefect still, but he'd never argued when they played pranks before. He was satisfied when the werewolf agreed quietly, a book in front of his face.

Sirius looked at James. James's lips were white, but he rolled his eyes and sat back down.

"Glad to see you've got your priorities straight."

"If I get my badge taken away for this—"

Sirius waved him off, spirit lifting and worries drifting away. "Dumbledore wouldn't. Now, I was thinking…"

*

Professor McGonagall sat down to breakfast, feeling like several wild animals had used her mouth as a restroom. Even brushing didn't help. She'd see if tea did, and then go down to Slughorn. He was likely feeling the same way, but it was his Ogden's he'd brought to the staff meeting and he deserved to lose a little of his precious Sobering Potion for it. Drinking on a Monday night. It was unconscionable, the lout.

She looked over at the new teacher, Professor Granger, who had also partaken of the festivities, though not to the extent as poor Pomona, who looked like she'd been hit by the Hogwarts Express and was green as she poked at her kippers. The brown-haired witch was a little soft around the eyes, but other than that didn't look nearly as bad off as the rest. Good, Minerva thought. They needed another teacher who could hold their liquor.

Professor Granger leaned over when she saw Minerva looking her way.

"If you need any Sobering Potion, I've got some, Professor. Horace shared some before breakfast and I've got a bit more—"

"Good grief, girl," Minerva said. "After last night, call me Minerva."

She smiled. "Hermione. Do you need—"

She trailed off as an awful sound echoed across the hall. It went on and on, and it didn't come from the staff table, where Minerva had expected it; considering what most of them were suffering under, it was almost a given.

Instead, it came from the Slytherin table. Severus Snape, not the most gifted at Transfiguration, was retching all over the table, and catching some of his peers with his astounding projectile vomiting skills.

Minerva stood, drawing her robes around her in a flurry. Poppy was already hurrying off the dais and toward the Slytherin. This didn't look like it was a normal illness—_no one _had that kind of stamina in that sort of thing. As Poppy reached the sick child, her thought was confirmed as the rest of the Slytherins started vomiting.

"I think I'll need that Sobering Potion after all," Minerva said, voice faint as one-fourth of her school exploded out of both ends.


End file.
